By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
A Bold(en) Performance
Penn State got back to their winning ways this week after beating Oregon. The game remained close until the second half when Penn State separated. The Oregon rushing attack just couldn’t stay consistent thanks to the Penn State defensive front. And that charge was led by Penn State DE Buck Bolden.
Bolden had 8 tackles, six of which were behind the line of scrimmage. Only two of those were sacks. The majority of his production was earned by ripping down all-world HB Ryan Ralosky. Bolden’s efforts often left Oregon in third and long situations, where they struggled to convert. He was consistently in the backfield all game long.
This performance moved Bolden up to 10 TFLs on the season, which is tied for the second-most in the league. He also has 4 sacks this season, which is tied with Caylee Alania for the team lead.
Bolden will need to play at this level (or maybe even better) this week as the Nittany Lions host Ohio State and the red-hot Buckeye offense. If he can live in the backfield once again, perhaps Penn State will be the first team to knock the Buckeyes down.
Mr. 6
Speaking of the Buckeyes, how about their QB? Sophomore standout Jaylen Tyree is far and away the top candidate for Offensive Player of the Year with the start he has had. He is averaging a league-leading 482.5 passing yards per game. But more important than the yards, are the touchdowns.
Tyree has 19 passing touchdowns this season, which is the most in the league and four more than any other QB. Tyree also has five rushing touchdowns, which is tied for the third most for any player and tied for the most among QBs. He is the only person in the league with 20 or more total touchdowns and he has 24.
I know Tyree is known for the #2 on his jersey, but Mr. 6 seems like a more accurate nickname given his ability to find the endzone. Ohio State has the best offense in the league this season, thanks in large part to the play of their star QB.
The Trojan War Path
USC improved to 4-0 (and 1-0 in conference) this past week with a 45-31 win over Michigan. The reigning champs are one of only four remaining unbeaten teams left this season. This means that the Trojans have won 10 consecutive games. This dates back to Week Six of Season 20, in which Ohio State pulled off a major upset, beating USC 52-45.
This puts them close to making history. The longest win streak in CFSL history belongs to Notre Dame, who won 17 straight games between Seasons 12 and 13. Right behind them, is the Oklahoma State win streak of 15 games, which took place between Seasons 15 and 16. USC still has a way to go, but they could tie Oklahoma State for the second-longest win streak in the first round of the playoffs. They would pass Notre Dame’s win streak if they stay unbeaten through the semifinals.
The rest of the Big10 will have something to say about this. This week USC will host Michigan State, who would love nothing more than to knock off the Trojans and end the prolific winning streak.
Big10 Week 4 Results
USC 45, Michigan 31
Ohio State 38, Michigan State 24
Penn State 37, Oregon 17
Big10 Week 5 Schedule
Monday
Ohio State at Penn State (6:30 PM on Twitch)
Michigan State at USC (8:30 PM on Twitch)
Tuesday
Michigan at Oregon (8:30 PM on Twitch)
Potential Big10 Game of the Week
This one is hard to choose. All three games have huge implications and look like they could be close matchups. However, if I can only pick one, it will be Michigan State traveling to USC. Michigan State suffered a tough loss to Ohio State last week and needs a conference win to stay in the race for one of the top 3 spots. They will be throwing everything they have at the Trojans this week. For USC, if they want to get their first conference championship since Season 10, they need to keep the win streak alive. This game will be closer than some think. Perhaps even Game of the Week close.
